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THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1981
COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE TO BE EXPANDED
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS EMBARKED ON AN EXPANSION PROGRAMME FOR COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE WHICH WILL DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF OPERATING CENTRES AND INCREASE THE ANNUAL OUTPUT OF COMMUNITY NURSES BY 20 PER CENT.
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR S.H.LEE, SAID THIS DURING A GRADUATION CEREMONY OF 117 COMMUNITY NURSES THIS AFTERNOON.
HE SAID 21 NEW CENTRES WERE PLANNED FOR THE NEW TOWNS SUCH AS SHA TIN, TSUEN WAN, KWAI CHUNG AND ALSO FOR THE URBAN AREAS.
SIX OF THESE NEW CENTRES WILL BE OPENED THIS YEAR.
THE GRADUATES WHO RECEIVED THEIR CERTIFICATES TODAY COMPRISED REGISTERED AND ENROLLED NURSES WHO HAD SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED FOUR-MONTH TRAINING COURSES JOINTLY CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND SEVEN VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS,
DR LEE POINTED OUT THAT OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE HAD PROVED TO BE POPULAR AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND INCREASINGLY APPRECIATED BY THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
+THE INCREASE IN THE DEMAND FOR THE SERVICE IS EVIDENT BY A 38 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO THE COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS FROM 5 000 IN 1977 TO 7 000 IN 1980, + HE SAID.
AS THE VALUE OF THE COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE IN WHICH PATIENTS ARE CARED FOR IN THE HOME SURROUNDINGS WITH PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN RECOGNISED, DR LEE SAID, THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS ESTIMATED THAT AN ADDITIONAL 700 NURSES WILL BE REQUIRED BY THE END OF THE DECADE.
IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING DEMAND OF THE SERVICE THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN STEPS TO EXPAND THE TRAINING CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE.
FROM APRIL ONWARD, STUDENT INTAKE OF EACH COURSE WILL BE INCREASED BY 20 PER CENT FROM 25 TO 30 SO THAT 90 NURSES WILL JOIN THE SERVICE EVERY YEAR IN FUTURE.
DR LEE EXPLAINED THAT COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICE PROVIDES FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT FOR CONVALESCENT OR CHRONIC PATIENTS WHO DO NOT REQUIRE INTENSIVE MEDICAL CARE IN A HOSPITAL, AND CATERS, IN PARTICULAR, TO GERIATRIC PATIENTS, AND THE HANDICAPPED WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY IN ATTENDING FOLLOW-UP CLINICS.
THE GOVERNMENT BEGAN SUBVENTING VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS OPERATING THE SERVICE IN APRIL 1977, AND TWO YEARS LATER, THE SERVICE WAS FORMALLY RECOGNISED BY THE GOVERNMENT AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN HONG KONG.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT HAD UNDERTAKEN ALSO A PHASED EXPANSION PROGRAMME OF THE SERVICE AND PARTICIPATED DIRECTLY BY PROVIDING SERVICES BASED IN THE MAIN GOVERNMENT REGIONAL HOSPITALS.
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